Shoe support for use by shoe repairers



April 30, 1929. H} s, P HN 1,711,424

SHOE SUPPORT FOR USE BY SHOE REPAIRERS Filed June '7, 1927 M VENTo/f Patented Apr. 30, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HORACE STANLEY POCHIN, 0F LEICESTER, ENGLAND.

SHOE SUPPORT FOR USE BY SHOE REPAIRERS.

Application filed June 7, 1927, Serial No. 197,043, and in. Great Britain June 10, 1926. i

This invention has reference to im rovements in or relating to shoe supports or use by shoe repairers for re-soling boots and shoes (both hereinafter included in the term shoes) the apparatus being of the type comprising a member to engage in the forepart of the shoe and a member to engage with yielding pressure the heel end of the shoe.

Various forms of shoe supports of the type referred to have been in use but each possesses one or more defects and I have carried out many experiments and tests with the view to providing a shoe support for the purpose stated in which the defects are eliminated.

A most serious shortcoming of shoe supports of the type referred to as heretofore constructed is thatthey are adaptedfor use with only a very limited range of shapes (as distinct from sizes) of shoes. Usually also their use is limited to a comparatively small range of sizes of shoes.

In some cases the apparatus is liable to get out of order or to be easily damaged,

The main object of my invention is the provision of a shoe support of the type referred to that is adapted for use with a very wide range of both shapes and sizes of shoes and whilst possessing the advantages of the known forms of supports avoids almost completely their defects.

Among other advantages possessed by my improved shoe support are that it can easlly be inserted into and can easily be removed from a shoe and that the critical part of the work, viz, the end of a newly applied halfsole adjacent to the waist of the shoe,.w1ll be subjected to greater pressure.

My invention broadly consists in a shoe support comprising in combination three main members, viz, (1) a member to engage in the forepart of the shoe and having an upwardly and forwardly extending cantilever; (2) an adjustable and spring pressed heel engaging member; and (3) a sole engaging member; the latter two members being secured to or engaged with the first member.

My improved shoe support is intended for use in repairing shoes (and boots) by what is known as the cementing process according to which the shoe sole cut to size and shape is secured to the shoe by cementusually a solution of celluloid-the shoe and the sole having been first roughened as is well understood, and in the carrying out of which process a sole-laying press is employed.

Myimproved shoe support is more espe cially intended for use in conjunction with a sole laying press of the type comprising a metal container for water and having a flexible cover, and a screw press.

My invention is illustrated diagrammatically in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1s a perspective View of a twin press showing in one of them a shoe to which a half-sole and in the other a shoe to which a full sole has been applied. Figs. 2 and 3 are side elevational views of two kinds or types of shoes, the former being of the light high heeled type and the latter of the heavier low heeled type, the shoe in each case being shown as it is positioned in the hydraulic cushion when under pressure, the cushion being shown in section. Fig. 4 is a side elevation partly in section of the improved shoe support, but not including a part shown in- 1 to be referred to; and Fig. 5 is a side sectional view of the heel extension to be referred to.

In said drawing the reference numerals 6, 8, indicate two metal containers for liquid and 10, 12, flexible covers consisting of an inner sheet 14 of rubber and an outer sheet 16 of leather. The said flexible cover is held firmly in position by a metal frame 18 between which and the container the marginal portion of the cover is gripped along the top edges and along the vertical face at the heel end of the container by bolts 20. The frames 18 are provided at each side at the heel end with studs 22 and headed studs 24, with which studs a heel support 26 may be engaged, said heel support being for this purpose provided With a vertical flange 28 to fit against the vertical end of the frame 18 and having slots 30 to engage on the studs 22 under their heads, and with inclined flanges 32 provided with apertures or slots 36 tobe'engaged withthe studs 24.

The top face of the heel su port 26 is arranged to receive a pad of ru ber 37 the exposed upper face of which is protected by a leather cover 38 the pad and the cover hav:

ing'a forwardly projecting tapering tongue 39 to fit under the waist of a shoe when placed on the cushion.

The containers are rovided with lugs such as 40 to which uprig ts 42 are secured, the said uprights carrying cross-heads, 44, 46 having centrally thereof screw-threaded bosses 48, 50, respectively to receive screwthreaded spindles 52, 54, the upper ends of which are of rectangular shape to receive a hand wheel 56. The containers are also provided with usual filling cups or the like 90.

The shoe support comprises a forepart member 60 to be entered in the forepart of the shoe. Said forepart member is made hollow and is provided with rearwardly extending lugs or flanges 7 0 and at the rear end of the forepart member, i. e., about vertically above the junction of the forepart with the waist of the shoe when the forepart member is inserted in the shoe, with a depending flange 61, and at the extreme toe end said forepart member is provided with a groove or slot 62.

For use in conjunction with the fore art I member I provide a plurality of sole p ates such as 63 of various sizes each having the shape of the interior sole face of the shoe. Each sole plate is provided with an upwardly projecting central strengthening rib 64 that is to engage in the slot 62 of the forepart member and with an upwardly extending lug 65, preferably formed as a continuation of the rib 64, to engage against the forward side of the flange 61 of said member. The sole ,plate preferably also has a rearwardly extending flange 66 which is at an angle to the sole plate corresponding to the angle the waist polrtion of a high heeled shoe forms with the so e.

Said forepart member 60 and the rearwardly extending flanges are formed with an upwardly extending post 67 that is formed with a forward extension or cantilever 68 that has a flat and preferably horizontal upper surface to be engaged by the lower ends of the spindles 52 (54) of the screw press.

In conjunction with the'forepart member I provideaheel member which consistsof a comparatively long block 72 that has a more or less rounded end 7 3 to engage in the heel end of the shoe and which block is formed with a screwthreaded aperture 74 that extends centrally from the front face to near the rear end of said block and in engagement with said aperture I providea screw-threaded spindle 76 the forward plain end of which is formed with a central recess 77 to receive a spring 78 and with a slot 80 to engage a cross-pin 84 on the forepart member, the spring 78 being compressed between the end of the recess 77 and the pin 84.

On the upper face of the block I provide a vertical post 86 and for a purpose to be described I also provide a beam 88.

Assuming that a. half-sole is to be applied to a shoe and that the sple and shoe have been properly prepared and coated with adhesive and the sole placedin position on the shoe:

A sole plate 63 is first inserted into the shoe and then the forepart member 60 is inserted. The groove or slot 62 of the forepart member will at once en age the rib 64 on the sole plate and when t e forepart member is about pushed home the depending flange 61 will engage against the upstanding lug 65 of the sole plate. The heel member 72 is then pushed towards the forepart member so that the spring 78 is compressed and this will serve to push the forepart member and with the latter the sole plate well into the forepart of the shoe and also will shorten the complete sup-port so as to permit of the heel and member being inserted into the heel end of the shoe, when the block 72 is pushed down so that its fiat lower face lies along the inner face of the heel end of the sole the support will be properly positioned.

When this has been effected in the case of a Louis shoe (Fig. 2) the heel block will of course be at a fairly considerable angle to the forepart and as the pressure of the spring 78 acts in the line of the block and the spin-. dle forms a sort of knuckle joint with the forepart member the rear end of the half-sole will be subjected to pressure by the action of said spring and, incidentally, will not act to stretch the shoe in the longitudinal direction, which obviously is not desired in the case of light shoes.

In the case of the heavier kind of shoe (Fig. 3) the spring will act to a considerable extent in the direction to stretch the shoe or at any rate to hold it well extended longitudinally.

The shoe with its sup ort is next placed on the hydraulic cushion. a out as shown in the left hand one of the twin presses shown in Fig. 1 andthe spindle 52 rotated so that by pressure on the cantilever, and through this the forepart member and the sole plate. the sole and shoe will be firmly pressed together, the hydraulic cushion as is known readily adapting itself to the shape of the sole and the shoe.

When the shoe has been maintained under pressure sufliciently long to mould or shape the sole to the shoe and to obtain a firm adhesion of the two together, the shoe support mayat once be removed because by merely moving the heel member slightly towards the forepart member it will be free to be disengaged from the shoe and as this is effected whilst the forepart and sole members are still in the shoe there can obviously be no disturbance of the cement joint bet-ween the sole and shoe. The moment the heel member is thus disengaged from the heel end of the shoe, the forepart member may at once and quite easily be withdrawn from the forepart of the shoe, leaving the sole plate within the shoe, and then the sole plate can quite easily be removed.

It will be seen therefore that there is no risk of disturbing the cement joint between the sole and the shoe and therefore my improved shoe support may be removed much sooner from the shoe than is the case when using supports as heretofore constructed and this obviously means that a workman requires to be provided with fewer supports to keep him fully occupied in the repairing of shoes (or boots) as aforesaid.

Further, I have found that by slightly lengthening (or shortening) the support (by rotating the heel block 72 about the spindle 76) one sole plat-e can be made to serve for two sizes of shoes so that apparatus for repairing a complete range of different sizes and adapted for different shapes of shoes can be produced comparatively cheaply.

For enabling whole soles to be appliecl in which case obviously the heel of the shoe requires to be removed-I provide a heel support 26 (Figs. land 5) which I secure to the end of the container as already described and when the sole has been applied to the shoe and my improved support inserted, the forepart of the shoe is placed directly on the hy.- draulic cushion and the waist on the tapering tongue 39 that extends forwardly from and rests on the cushion. I then place the beam 88. on the cantilever 68 and on the post 86 and apply pressure by the screw press spindle 54. By this means the'sole at the forepart of the shoe and the waist will be moulded to the shape of the more or less curved parts of the shoe and the heel part will be maintained substantially flat whilst the whole sole is subjected to pressure.

It will be seen that when the shoe has been subjected to pressure for a time just suflicient to ensure that the newly applied half-sole or sole is properly shaped to the shoe, it is only necessary to press the heel part 72 towards the forepart to enable the heel part to be slipped from the heel end of the shoe and thereupon the forepart member can at once and quite easily be drawn from the forepart of the shoe because the sole memher is left undisturbed within the shoe. Then the sole plate can easily be removed. All the foregoing can therefore be accomplished without the slightest strain being put on the cement joint between the half sole (or sole) and the shoe,-so that the last can he slipped much earlier from a shoe than is possible when shoe supports as heretofore constructed are employed. .The workman can therefore be kept fully employed with 21 fewer number of shoe supports than is at present the case, and this obviously is a valuable consideration.

What I claim is 1. A shoe support comprising a hollow forepart member, a heel member having an aperture extending centrally from the front face to near the rear face thereof, a bar adjustably engaged in said aperture in the heel member and pivotally connected to the fore part member, and a sole plate separable from the forepart member and arranged for engagement with the forepart member.

y 2. A shoe support comprising a forepart lation, to the forepart member.

4. A shoe support comprising a forepart member provided with an overhanging arm,

a plurality of sole engaging members arranged for engagement by the forepart member, a heel member engaged with the forepart member, and a beam to engage the over hanging arm and the heel member.

5. A shoe support comprising a sole plate for insertion into the forepart. of a shoe, a forepart member also for insertion in the forepart of the shoe and arranged for engagement with the sole plate, said fore part member having a forwardly-projecting overhanging arm through which pressure is applied thereto, and' a heel engaging member movably secured to the forepart member.

6. A shoe support comprising a sole plate for insertion into-the forepart of a shoe and provided with a rib and a lug, a hollow forepart.member also for insertion in the fore-- part of-the shoe and arranged to engage said rib and said lug, said forepart member havlng a forwardly-projecting overhanging arm through which'pressure is applied thereto,

and a heel member engaged with the fore art member and arranged to press with yiel ing pressure thereagainst.

7. A shoe support comprising a sole plate for insertion into the forepart of a shoe and provided with a rib and a lug, a hollow forepart member also for insertion in the fore-' part of the shoe, and arranged to engage said rib and said lug, an overhanging arm on said forepart member, a heel member engaged with the forepart member and arranged to press with yielding pressure there against, a post on said heel member, and a beam to engage the overhanging arm and the post.

8; For use in repairing shoes a sole plate, a forepart member to engage said sole plate, an overhanging arm on sald forepart memher, forepart mem a beam to engage against the overhanging arm and the post, a container for liquid, a 5 flexible cover of rubber and leather for said container to receive the forepart of the shoe, a heel support carried by the container to a heel engaging member pivoted to the er and provided with a post,

receive the heel end of the shoe, a tapering flexible tongue extending forwardly from the heel support to engage the waist of the 10 shoe, and means to press the forepart and waist of the shoe towards the flexible cover and the heel portion against the heel support.

HORACE STANLEY POCHIN. 

